Cuddling Ensues
The thunderous boom outside your house was the only thing to suggest that tonight wasn't perfect weather for star gazing. It was also the only thing keeping you from your peaceful slumber.
Anything but a quiet night would simply not do for sleeping.
It's been ten minutes now of lying awake, imagining all the sleep you wish you could have when there's a knock on the door. It's not even a knock, really. It sounded more like someone softly cuffed the door, as if they were hesitant to actually make a sound. The door creaks a little as it's swung further open.
You push your covers down, roll onto your back, and face the door.
“Come in.”
Slowly, very slowly, the door swings on the hinges to reveal to you the mare standing behind it. At first all you see is a rainbow colored tail, but as the door continues a cyan form is rapidly revealed to you, until that gives way to another set of rainbow, this time a mane sitting atop a head holding large, magenta eyes.
Of course, you knew already that it would be Rainbow Dash.
Looking at her, you take a moment to admire how much she's grown in the short time she's been in your care. You can see behind her the many black lines etched into the doorway marking her height over time. It's only been two years since you found her and she's already grown so much, a few more and she'll be a fully grown mare!
“What is it, Dash?”
“I-I had a bad dream.” She whispers quietly, looking downtrodden, staring at the floor. “Can I stay with you tonight?” Full of hope, she glances up with large, quivering, almost tearful eyes...and yet somehow you can see so much joy hidden behind them.
Your eyes close as a smile slips its way on your face.
“Of course you can.”
Opening your eyes once again, you see the joy Rainbow Dash was holding back erupt all at once. A large, toothy smile splays itself over her face and she gives a little hop in place before rushing over and climbing up onto your bed.
“Thank you!” She excitedly says as she finally reaches the top.
She falls on her side and rolls over until the short gap between the two of you is closed. Her forelegs wrap around your left arm as she wriggles her body, snuggling in closer.
To her dismay, you gently pull your arm out from her grasp, but she soon brightens exceedingly more as you blanket her shoulders with your arm and pull her nearer to you. Your free hand reaches down towards your previously discarded covers, and soon they rejoin you on the bed.
Rainbow seemed to settle down quickly. She lies on her side, using one of her hooves as a pillow, and nestles in even closer. Soon your chin finds itself resting atop her head, and your eyes close as you gradually start to breath deeply.
A sense of absolute serenity overtakes the room. Lying here late at night with Rainbow Dash in your arms...it feels as if everything is right with the world, like everything you could ever need or ever want is right here with you.
And really, it all is.
You take a moment to truly appreciate the feeling of closeness overcoming you, and the adorable sight of Rainbow calmly breathing into your chest. Being that there wasn't much else to do, you carry on caring for Rainbow Dash as if there was nothing else you'd rather be doing in the entire world than what you're doing right now.
And honestly, there wasn't.
A small time later, you catch yourself just as you're about to drift off into blissful unconsciousness. That wouldn't do. After all, you still had something on your mind.
“Rainbow Dash?” You quietly whisper.
A few moments silence later and you decide that sleep had already taken the young mare. Not wanting to wake her from her cute sleep, you-
“Nnnng...yeah?”
Rainbow tilts her head in your direction, yawning as she does so.
“Oops, my mistake, I didn't mean to wake you, go back to bed.”
“No, no.” She whispers, eyes still closed. “It's okay, what did you want to talk about?”
With a caring yet curious voice, you ask “Rainbow, what happened in your bad dream?”
“Uh......”
Rainbow doesn't say anything. Instead, she slowly pivots her head towards you, but she keeps her eyes, which have regained the same scared, quivering motion as earlier, looking down, not willing to meet yours.
“I-I'm so sorry!”
She plunges her muzzle into your shoulder, hiding her face away from your vision. You immediately hear Rainbow's muffled sniffle, followed by a soft whimper.
“Dash? What are you sorry for, it was just a dream!”
“Do you love me?”
“Of course I do, Rainbow Dash!” You say with a smile, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Do you even need to ask?”
“Promise you won't be mad?” She finally looks up as she says this, her eyes still clearly holding back tears.
“I promise.”
Rainbow takes a moment to breath and calm down before continuing.
“I d-didn't really have a bad dream, I-I just...” She trails off, not sure how to continue.
Well now your curiosity is piqued. If Dash didn't have a bad dream, what possible reason would she have to lie to you? There could be any number of scenarios, but you realize the simplest, most effective way to find out is to just ask her outright.
“Why did you tell me you had a bad dream, Rainbow?” A small feeling of hurt tugs at your heart.
“Please don't be mad!” A millisecond later and she dives for your arm again. You remove her from you, to which she softly lets out a cry, and firmly place your hands around her shoulders to stare straight at her.
“I'm not mad, I promise.”
The simple sentence is enough to calm down Rainbow Dash enough that she overcomes her tears.
“Well it's just...when I saw you walking into your room, I heard the thunder, a-and I remembered that you can't sleep when there's thunder...so I thought that maybe, if I spent the night with you, I c-could help you...” As her sentence grew, her confidence shrank, until she was scarcely heard near the end.
“So, you did this for me?”
“Y-yeah...”
After staring hard at her for a few more seconds, the biggest smile you can recall in a while flares up towards your face. As you pull Rainbow Dash in for an incredibly tight hug, all things seemed proper in the universe again, and there was nowhere else you'd rather be than in the hooves of the filly right in front of you. The moment you'd pulled her in, she'd done so as well, relieved as she was that you weren't upset...in fact, you felt stupendous!
Turning your head to whisper directly into her ear, you genuinely say “Thank you, Rainbow Dash.”
Her smile broadens, and she replies “I love you too, by the way.”
“...Thank you.”
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A/N: That's that. I hope you loved it! And while you're at it, please remember the three C's! Critique, Comment, and C-....C-......Rate. If you liked this style of writing, check out my other work here!
